Spoken word performer George Mpanga, also known as George the Poet, is the youngest member of the national council to date, at 26.

Other members of the national council, which is the non-executive board of ACE, include Paul Roberts, who is vice-chair of Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts, and the chief executive of film and TV production company House Productions Tessa Ross.

Chief executive of the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Michael Eakin and arts programmer and producer Andrew Miller, who is executive associate Northampton’s Royal and Derngate Theatres, also join the board.

The new appointees will replace members whose terms have expired or will expire in the next few months. The national council holds responsibility for the governance of the organisation.

Others appointed include professor Roni Brown, who has also been named South East area chair, and Sukhy Johal, who will also take up the role of Midlands area chair.

Elisabeth Murdoch, and Kate Willard, who has also been appointed North area chair, will also join the board. David Joseph has had his term on the national council extended.

Nicholas Serota, chair of Arts Council England, said: “It is so important that boards address diversity in the process of recruiting new members.

“I am particularly pleased to welcome not only our youngest member to date, but also a national council that has an equal number of men and women.”

He added: “This is work in progress. We, and our sector, must continually challenge ourselves about who is representing the public on the boards of organisations, so we can be confident we understand the interests of contemporary society.”